Empire Records

Allan Moyle, USA, 1996, 90 minutes

Not the Polish death-metal band, but an effortlessly enjoyable 90's teen movie about an atypical day for a small-town independent record store. Empire Records (open 'till midnight) is less a record store and more of a place to hang-out for the employees and the music lovers in it's small town America setting. Much the same attitude will infect you as you watch.

The film opens as the enigmatic Lucas (Rory Cochrane) is cashing-up, but rather than bank the takings Lucas grabs the cash and drive to Altantic City because Lucas has discovered that the Empire is in trouble. Lucas places a series of all or nothing bets to raise enough cash to save the Empire from being sold-out to the Musictown chain of record stores, but as we are only two minutes into a ninety minute film... well the best laid plans of mice.

As a new day opens it may now be the Empire's last, not that the staff know this as they are busy with their own troubles. AJ loves Corey (Liv Tyler), but all she can think about is the banal sleaze-bag singing sensation Rex Manning (an excellent Maxwell Caulfield). Debs got issues, as has Warren the shoplifter who along with Mark needs help improving his musical tastes. On his return Lucas has gone all zen, which is just as well because store manager Joe (Anthony LaPaglia) can't quite decide between helping him or killing him. And so the day passes, the characters learning more about each other than they may care too and of the Empire's imminent demise.

Empire Records is a movie about the nothing that goes on during a day in the store, so don't expect a lot of story, simply enjoy the great individual character pieces and an almost impossibly cool indie-rock soundtrack as the film build towards an excellent outro.

"Let me explain it to you. Mitchell's the man. I'm the idiot. You're the screw-up. And we're all losers. Welcome to Musictown."

Review by Breandan Goodall
Written for EUFS Programme Autumn 2005